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Elimination of Adult Day Health Care Services and the Impact on Long-Term Care Planning

By Sara Polinsky, Esq.

(Page 1 of 2)

As an Elder Law Attorney, I often meet with
families and caregivers to help them create a plan
for the future care of a sick or elderly loved one.
Since the desire is always to remain at home for as
long as possible and to avoid or delay
institutionalization, I often explore various
services and benefits programs with my clients that
will help them stay at home. Adult Day Health
Care Centers have always been an integral part of
this planning.

Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) Centers are licensed
day care programs that provide various health,
enrichment and social services for the frail and
elderly such as: individual assessments, counseling,
therapy, much needed socialization, hot meals,
day-to-day supervision, crafts and activities,
support for caregivers and transportation to and
from the center. These programs are unique
because they combine both medical and social
services.

In California, some estimated 35,000 seniors
depend on these services to avoid being placed in
nursing homes. The ADHC Centers are a resource for
those who need help, but who want to remain at home
or living in the community. Without these programs,
most participants in ADHC programs would not be able
to meet their daily needs and would have to be taken
out of their homes.

Not only are ADHC Centers beneficial to the
participants of the programs, they are also a
tremendous resource for the caregivers of those
participants. These Centers provide respite
for those who provide full-time care for their
spouses. Very often, I see caregiver spouses forego
their own health and needs because they are consumed
with the care of the sick spouse. Consequently, it
is not uncommon for the caregiver spouse to become
very ill themselves or even predecease the sick
spouse. ADHC Centers are a safe place for someone to
receive care and case management, giving the
caregiver spouse an opportunity to rest, shop for
household items, socialize or even go to their own,
often-missed, doctor’s appointments.

Sometimes, adult children are also caregivers for
their elderly parents and being able to send them to
ADHC Centers during the day allows these caregivers
to keep their daytime jobs. Without these
programs, many caregivers would have to quit their
jobs and jeopardize their own standard of living.
Simply put, not only do these programs enhance the
quality of life for the participants, but also for
their caregivers. Without them, the only alternative
for many frail seniors would be institutionalization
and a complete loss of independence.

The ADHC Centers have operated as a successful
model of care for some 40 years. Most of those who
attend ADHC centers are covered by Medi-Cal, meaning
they are not only medically needy, but also
financially needy. Medi-Cal funding for ADHC
programs is going to end as of December 1, 2011 and
many frail elderly and their caregivers will have no
place to go for the services and care they so
desperately need.